Pacific women showing the way with NZ Hi-Tech Award nominations

Update: Nu'uali'i Eteroa Lafaele was announced as a joint winner of the Xero Hi-Tech Young Achiever award at the 2024 Hi-Tech Awards at an evening gala event on Friday 24 May.

Only four per cent of workers in the tech industry are Tagata Moana and working to boost numbers is a proud Pacific owned tech business, Fibre Fale.

Fibre Fale is already making waves in the industry, progressing and platforming Pacific people into the tech sector, as well as receiving two nominations for the prestigious Hi-Tech Awards - one of the most sought after accolades, being held tonight at the Spark Arena.

Co-founder and CEO Julia Arnott-Neenee is up for the Datacom Most Inspiring Individual Award and her co-founder Nu’uali’i Eteroa Lafaele has been nominated for Xero Hi-Tech Young Achiever.

Arnott-Neenee told Pacific Mornings says getting two nominations for such a small Pacific-owned, women- founded business is a rare-feat in the award's thirty year history.

“The Hi-Tech Awards were brought to life in 1994, and since they’ve been launched they haven't had many Pasifika finalists.

“It’s a really big moment for us at Fibre Fale. We've never been nominated for this in the prestigious technology awards, and it’s the first time that we’re able to bring a whole group of our village with us to the awards night.”

Arnott-Neenee says they’re taking a group of 21 to celebrate this historic and momentous occasion for their crew, 11 of whom are Pacific tech leaders from programmes offered by Fibre Fale.

In a statement, chair of the Hi-Tech Trust David Downs says this year's finalist reflect the depth of New Zealand's tech industry and the standard of entries continue to grow every year.

“It’s awesome to have received a record number of entries, surpassing our previous best by some margin and great to see that our entrants and finalists come from right around the country and cover so many diverse technologies,” says Downs.

“We applaud the ever-increasing diversity of the sector and are really pleased that this year over 50% of our judges are female.”

Having launched in 2022, Fibre Fale is a relatively new tech company but perhaps what makes them a standout finalist is the people-led purpose with its three main pillars being; to model the change in the industry they want to see, delivering immersive programmes into communities, and advocacy.

Through content creation, leadership programmes, master classes and skill building, Fibre Fale is pushing for education and information growth within Pacific communities boosting representation in tech spaces.

Arnott-Neenee says Pacific people have innate business adeptness, that the industry is trying to replicate.

“A lot of brands are talking about being community-led. And it’s quite ironic to hear that because as Pasifika we know exactly what that means to be community led.

“And a lot of these organisations are trying to manufacture movements or digital, online communities that then move into real life communities.

“We already have the answers within, we already know the ways of building change and building organisations.”

Arnott-Neenee’s ambition is to help businesses recognise and harness the natural leadership and entrepreneurial talents in thriving Pacific communities.

Watch the full interview below and catch the live stream of the Hi-Tech awards starting at 7pm, here.